The three successive championships of Macau Elite League Casa Benfica went to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan from August 18 to 24 to attend the qualifying match of AFC Asian Cup for the second year. Benfica defeated Rovers FC 4:2 in its opening game. However, it was beaten 1:2 to the home team Dordoi FC in the critical second match and failed to enter the qualification.
“The team played a good game. Unfortunately, they failed to qualify. But this game is a good experience for them and it can also let the Macau fans know that the local team is absolutely competitive in the Asian level tournaments,” said Duarte Alves, chairman of the club.
The first game of the AFC Cup play-off qualifiers took place on August 21, with Casa Benfica versus Rovers FC first. Throughout the 75-minute match, Benfica sent waves of attacks, with Fernández scored twice successively, as well as one goal by Almeida and Chan Man. Until the 75th minute, Benfica was leading 4:0. In the last 15 minutes, although Lei Chi Kin was sent off and two goals were lost in a row, Benfica still defeated Rovers FC 4-2, winning a crucial match. Since Dordoi FC, which was in the same group as Benfica, beat Rovers FC 2:0 in the kickoff game on 19th, the game on 23rd was significant for the team to enter the qualification.
One win, one loss
Since Lei Chi Kin was sent off in the second game versus Dordoi FC, Nunes, the coach of Casa Benfica, made two lineup adjustments. Benfica, which was able to qualify even with a draw, made a good start in the first 3 minutes but was equalized 1:1 in 10 minutes. In the 77th minute, Benfica was scored by Dordoi FC with a penalty kick outside the restricted area and was finally beaten 1:2 to Dordoi FC. After two games, Dordoi FC was the first team to enter the qualification. Benfica ranked second with three points and failed to qualify.
Chan Man joined a team in Premier League
After Leong Ka Hang joined Hong Kong Premier League club to start his new career as a professional football player two years ago, there is another player from the local team becoming a professional footballer! This year's “Macao Footballer of the Year” Chan Man, from Benfica, has officially signed Sporting Clube Olhanense in the Premier League for one year. “I will cherish this opportunity and will not be complacent. There are still many challenges ahead,” said Chan, whose two childhood dreams have come true. “Meanwhile, I hope to encourage all the young players who love football with my own experience. As long as you stick to your dream, you can do it, just like me!”
Switching to Benfica from Monte Carlo in the 2015 season, Chan stepped into another stage of his football career. Chan assisted Benfica to win the championships of Macau Elite League twice in two years. With his outstanding performance in this season, he won the “Macau Footballer of the Year” award for the first time and boarded the peak of his career. After two months when the 23-year-old Chan fulfilled his dream as the “Footballer of the Year”, another dream from his childhood – to become a professional football player also came true.
With the sudden fulfillment of his career dreams, Chan was very grateful but he did not forget to cheer for the young players: “If you really like football, you must overcome all difficulties and stick to the end. As long as you persist, everything is possible. You never know when the opportunity will come. The only thing you can do is to try your best in every game.”
